Frequently Asked Questions
Below are the most common questions we get asked. Don't see one of your questions here? Please contact us, we'd love to hear from you.
Who is PA PowerShopper?
PA PowerShopper was created by industry veterans with vast Pennsylvania utility experience in customer operations, information technology, investments in grid infrastructure, and regulatory matters. We saw that the promise of electric competition to customers hadn't been fully realized, and we knew we could help with an innovative approach and use of advanced technology. We're on a mission to make electric shopping in PA simple and fee-free.
What makes PA PowerShopper different?
For a low flat monthly fee, we will use our advanced technology and expertise to shop the electric market to find you the best deals on electricity. We handle all of the paperwork and remove all of the hassle of switching electric providers. We're different because we shop the electric market for you and find you a solid fixed rate, contract after contract. Energy providers on the other hand, do their best to charge you as much as they can. Our $10 a month fee stays flat, and we never take supplier commissions.
How much do you charge?
PA PowerShopper's membership service costs $10 a month. The membership fee is charged on a monthly basis automatically to your credit card on file. Sign up once and we'll handle everything for you. You'll get periodic updates from us when we switch electric supplier for you.
What do I get for the $10 monthly fee?
For $10 a month, we shop the Pennsylvania electric market for you, enroll you in a fixed-rate plan, and shop again before that contract ends. We only use plans with no cancellation, monthly, or enrollment fees. How your bill compares depends on the rate you pay today and how much electricity you use, so check your utility's Price to Compare on your bill. We handle the paperwork and the deadlines so you don't have to.
As a member, you're never left on a rate that rolls over without warning. We only place you in fixed-rate plans, and only plans with no cancellation, monthly, or enrollment fees, so your price per kWh stays put for the whole contract.
How are you different than PAPowerSwitch?
PA PowerShopper is a management service that automatically shops the electric market for the lowest possible rates and automatically switches our members to those plans. PAPowerSwitch is an excellent source of electric market information for electric customers provided by the PA Public Utility Commission. Customers can use that resource to perform their own shopping for electricity. PA PowerShopper can do that shopping for residential customers and eliminate all of the hassle and effort associated with shopping on your own. Shopping for electricity in PA can be complicated and take consistent effort to do well. With our expertise, we stay on top of your agreements to make sure you are always paying as little as possible. You can relax while we do the hard work for you.
Can I cancel my membership with PA PowerShopper at any time?
Yes! You may cancel your membership with us at any time for any reason. Contact us at membercare@PAPowerShopper.com or call us at 484-519-1569. There is no early termination fee for leaving.
Is PA PowerShopper affiliated with any electric supplier?
No. PA PowerShopper is not affiliated with any electric suppliers. We are free to always choose the best plans available to our members, regardless of the supplier. We receive no compensation from electric suppliers when we sign you up on their plans. PA PowerShopper operations are completely funded by membership fees which keeps our interests aligned with our members. Our mission is to keep you on fixed-rate, no-fee plans.
Can I use your service? I have a municipal utility.
Unfortunately, no. If you live in one of the few areas that your electric service is supplied by your municipality, you don't have the ability in PA to shop for better electric supply prices.
How do you secure my personal information with you?
PA PowerShopper cares deeply about the security of your personal information and we have several protections in place to ensure your information always remains secure. When you interact with the PA PowerShopper website, all of that information is encrypted and unable to be read by others. All of the information we gather to switch suppliers is also transferred in this same safe and secure manner. Your credit card information and all credit card transactions take place in a secure PCI Level 1 certified environment (the highest certification available). Those information storage locations are independently audited for security. The PA PowerShopper team includes certified experts in cyber security.
Will you handle multiple meters with PA PowerShopper?
You may have multiple meters under one membership, but the membership fee is applied to each meter as we will shop for them independently.
Does your service cover commercial accounts?
PA PowerShopper memberships are currently only available for residential electric customers.
How does your guarantee work?
PA PowerShopper is confident we can make electric shopping as easy and hassle free as possible. However, if at any time you are not satisfied with our service, we will do everything in our power to change that, up to and including a refund of your monthly membership fee. If for whatever reason you want to stop your membership, you can do so at any time with no termination fees.
Why wouldn't I just shop on my own?
Shopping for electricity can be complicated and requires some expertise to do it optimally. Some electric generators know this and setup service plans that end up costing you much more than you expected. Shopping for electricity also requires vigilance around the terms of your contract. PA PowerShopper will handle all of that hassle for you for a low monthly fee. You'll get a terrific price on electricity without the inconvenience and hassle of managing your electric contract.
What exactly do you guarantee?
We guarantee to enroll you only in a thoroughly vetted fixed-rate plan with no cancellation fee, no monthly fee, and no enrollment fee. No hidden fees or surprises. We watch your contract end date and shop again before it runs out, so you're never rolled onto a variable rate. If you're not happy with our service, tell us and we'll make it right.
How does the savings calculator work?
The savings calculator provides potential customers with an easy to use way to estimate how much money they may save by becoming members. In order to get the most accurate results, we recommend that the calculator be used with information taken directly from the customer's electric bill. You'll want to find your average rate of electric consumption in kilowatt hours, and find the current price you are paying for electric generation.
When you submit your information, a graph with two columns will be shown. The first column will show your current annual cost for electric supply - your baseline. The second column will show how much money we estimate we can save you by using our service for a full year (gold colored bar). PA PowerShopper uses advanced analytics to estimate future costs by looking at historical local trends in electric prices across all of PA.
When you submit your information, a graph with two columns will be shown. The first column will show your current annual cost for electric supply - your baseline. The second column will show how much money we estimate we can save you by using our service for a full year (gold colored bar). PA PowerShopper uses advanced analytics to estimate future costs by looking at historical local trends in electric prices across all of PA.
How do you get the best rate?
PA PowerShopper uses advanced technology to continuously monitor electric plans and prices across PA. We review available plans versus the plans that our members are currently paying. When there is a good opportunity to switch suppliers, we do that automatically for you. We take great care to enroll our members only in plans that have flat electric rates, and plans that do not carry extra and unnecessary fees. These are the traps that are easy to fall into if you are not a dedicated expert and shop on your own.
Can you tell me what my rate will be?
PA PowerShopper isn't a supplier and doesn't set rates. We're a shopping service that enrolls you in fixed-rate plans with no cancellation, monthly, or enrollment fees. Your rate is locked in for each contract, and we'll keep shopping as prices change over time. We email you the supplier, the rate, and the contract length every time we switch you.
I signed up! What now?
PA PowerShopper will shop the electric market, find the right plan for you, and enroll you with the best provider. Your supplier and utility will then have 3 days to switch your supplier. You will not have any interruption of electric service during this process as this is simply an electronic process with your local utility company. This will all happen transparently to you, so you won't have to worry about anything. When PA PowerShopper enrolls you with a supplier, we will send you a confirmation email notifying you of the switch and the rate we've secured on your behalf. You can expect to be enrolled in a new plan a few times of year as rates change and suppliers actively compete. Each time we enroll you in a new supplier, we'll send you an email.
Your membership fee will automatically be charged to your credit card on record once a month. Once you sign up, there's not much for you to do but sit back and relax with the confidence that you have experts working hard to ensure you pay as little as possible for electricity.
Do I have to tell my current provider I'm leaving?
No, there is no need to do anything with your current provider. PA PowerShopper will handle all of the necessary steps for enrolling with an energy supplier. We make sure everything happens smoothly without you having to worry about the mechanics of how it happens. We're here to make participating in the competitive PA electric market as seamless and as easy as possible.
Do I have to sign a contract with PA PowerShopper
No, we're focused on reducing your electric bill and doing so without having to worry about a contract. You may cancel your service with us at any time, and your satisfaction is guaranteed.
Will I have a contract with an electric supplier?
Yes, we enroll you in cost effective electricity plans that typically last 3 months at a time. When the time comes to renew, we'll monitor the electric market and enroll you in a new plan as needed. We handle all of the paperwork for you.
Will you ever put me in a variable rate plan?
No. PA PowerShopper only signs our members up with flat rate plans. PA PowerShopper believes that most customers do not want the hassle and complication of closely monitoring their electric usage in order to avoid price spikes in variable rate plans. Our membership is focused on keeping your electric bill low and ensuring you don't have to worry about price spikes or extra fees.
Do I have to call my current provider or my local utility company?
No, we'll handle changing your electric provider. We'll manage the ongoing monitoring of your rate comparing the best available plans. When we see a better deal, we'll sign you up. As a part of your membership, we'll handle your electric shopping including all of the paperwork and communications.
How often will my electric plans be switched?
We focus on putting you in a solid fixed rate for as long a term as makes sense. A typical member will see 1-4 plan switches per year as we optimize plans for you. When your supplier switches, you won't need to do anything.
Will switching cause me to lose power?
No, electric service will continue as normal. Switching electricity providers happens electronically with your local utility.
I'm currently in a contract with a generation supplier, can you still help?
Yes! Since PAPowerShopper cannot know the details of your current contract, we recommend you review your contract for possible early termination fees. Some customers may choose to wait until their current contract expires before using our service to avoid those fees.
What information do I need to provide to PA PowerShopper?
There are a few basic pieces of information we will need to effectively shop for your electricity and change your supply contracts:
Full legal name
Service Address
Utility account number
Phone number
Email address
Credit Card Information
How much do you charge?
PA PowerShopper's membership service costs $10 a month. The membership fee is charged on a monthly basis automatically to your credit card on file. Sign up once and we'll handle everything for you. You'll get periodic updates from us when we switch electric supplier for you.
How do you get the best rate?
PA PowerShopper uses advanced technology to continuously monitor electric plans and prices across PA. We review available plans versus the plans that our members are currently paying. When there is a good opportunity to switch suppliers, we do that automatically for you. We take great care to enroll our members only in plans that have flat electric rates, and plans that do not carry extra and unnecessary fees. These are the traps that are easy to fall into if you are not a dedicated expert and shop on your own.
Can you tell me what my rate will be?
PA PowerShopper isn't a supplier and doesn't set rates. We're a shopping service that enrolls you in fixed-rate plans with no cancellation, monthly, or enrollment fees. Your rate is locked in for each contract, and we'll keep shopping as prices change over time. We email you the supplier, the rate, and the contract length every time we switch you.
Will I still get an electric bill?
Yes, your electric bills will continue as normal. On your electric statement you may see generation providers change over time as we manage the best price for you.
Do I have to tell my current provider I'm leaving?
No, there is no need to do anything with your current provider. PA PowerShopper will handle all of the necessary steps for enrolling with an energy supplier. We make sure everything happens smoothly without you having to worry about the mechanics of how it happens. We're here to make participating in the competitive PA electric market as seamless and as easy as possible.
Do I have to sign a contract with PA PowerShopper
No, we're focused on reducing your electric bill and doing so without having to worry about a contract. You may cancel your service with us at any time, and your satisfaction is guaranteed.
Will there be any extra fees in the plan you enroll me in?
PA PowerShopper will never enroll you in a plan that carries any hidden fees. Hidden fees are often the source of how many consumers overpay for electricity. We'll make sure you never have to worry about them and we'll also make sure you don't have to worry about variable rates.
When will you charge me for the membership?
As soon as you complete the sign up process, your service starts right away and your credit card will be charged. You'll then be charged automatically once a month for the service.
How do I change or update my payment information?
If you need to update the credit card information used for your PA PowerShopper service, follow the steps below. You may need to do this from time to time if you get new credit cards, or your current credit card expires.
Log into the Member Portal
Click "Payment Methods"
Enter your new credit card information
Click "Continue"
Check that the new credit card is listed as the default
Remove the old payment method
Will I have a contract with the electric supplier?
Yes, we enroll you in cost effective electricity plans that typically last 3 months at a time. When the time comes to renew, we'll monitor the electric market and enroll you in a new plan as needed. We handle all of the paperwork for you.
Will you ever put me in a variable rate plan?
No. PA PowerShopper only signs our members up with flat rate plans. PA PowerShopper believes that most customers do not want the hassle and complication of closely monitoring their electric usage in order to avoid price spikes in variable rate plans. Our membership is focused on keeping your electric bill low and ensuring you don't have to worry about price spikes or extra fees.
Can I cancel my contract with the electricity provider?
Yes, you can always cancel your contract with an electric provider. If you are not currently a PA PowerShopper member and are thinking of becoming one, if you have an electric provider we suggest you review your contract for possible early termination fees before becoming a member.
If you've never shopped for electricity or signed up with an energy supplier, you don't have to worry about a contract or early termination fees.
If you've never shopped for electricity or signed up with an energy supplier, you don't have to worry about a contract or early termination fees.
How will I get updates on the plans I'm in?
We will update you via email every time we switch your electric supplier. We'll let you know the company, the contract length and the price for electricity you will be paying. We'll also let you know when that contract ends. You'll be informed of your contract status, but there is no need for you to do anything. You will also receive mail from new electric suppliers as we sign you up with their plans confirming plan changes.
How often will my electric plans be switched?
We focus on putting you in a solid fixed rate for as long a term as makes sense. A typical member will see 1-4 plan switches per year as we optimize plans for you. When your supplier switches, you won't need to do anything.
Do I have to sign a contract with PA PowerShopper
No, we're focused on reducing your electric bill and doing so without having to worry about a contract. You may cancel your service with us at any time, and your satisfaction is guaranteed.
Will there be any extra fees in the plan you enroll me in?
PA PowerShopper will never enroll you in a plan that carries any hidden fees. Hidden fees are often the source of how many consumers overpay for electricity. We'll make sure you never have to worry about them and we'll also make sure you don't have to worry about variable rates.
Who do I call if my power goes out?
You will continue to contact your local utility. Your local utility owns and maintains the electric meter and all of the electric grid infrastructure required to deliver electricity to you. Below is the contact information for all of the electric utilities in Pennsylvania:
"Wow! I can't believe how much money you've saved us this year. You handled everything!"
Steve
Allentown, PA
Allentown, PA